Koscielny keeps Arsenal on top, Man City late goals sealed victory at Vicarage Road, WestHam stunned Liverpool, Manchester United ended winless run
At the Emirates,Laurent Koscielny netted the only goal of the game as
Arsenal went two points clear at the top of the Premier
League with a less than convincing 1-0 victory over
struggling Newcastle United on Saturday.
Koscielny, along with Nacho Monreal and Mathieu Flamini,
was one of three Arsenal changes from the 2-0 win over
AFC Bournemouth last time out and the France defender's
72nd-minute effort proved decisive at Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech - who set a new Premier
League record of 170 clean sheets in the success over
Bournemouth - showed his class once again, superbly
denying Georginio Wijnaldum on three occasions prior
to Koscielny's winner.
The breakthrough came following a corner, with Koscielny
on hand to prod home from close range from Olivier
Giroud's header.
Also, King Power Stadium Claudio Ranieri's men fell two points off the pace in the Premier League title race on Saturday after the
Algerian's miss from 12 yards
Riyad Mahrez missed what could have been a decisive
penalty as Leicester City lost ground at the top of the table
in a 0-0 draw with 10-man Bournemouth.
Else where, the Red Devils picked up all three points for the
first time since November despite a late scare when
goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski headed wide
Wayne Rooney scored a superb winner as Manchester
United ended their Swansea City hoodoo with a 2-1 victory
at Old Trafford on Saturday to ease some of the pressure on
manager Louis van Gaal.
The Dutch manager had lost each of his previous three
meetings with Swansea by the same scoreline, including his
Premier League bow back in August 2014.
Mean while, at Carrow Road Alex Tettey sealed a 1-0 win for Norwich City over 10- man Southampton at Carrow Road to move the hosts six
points clear of the Premier League drop zone.
Both sides probed brightly during the first half, with Norwich
striker Dieumerci Mbokani and his Saints counterpart, Shane
Long, both passing up opportunities to break the deadlock.
This gave way to more attritional fare after the break but the
game turned when Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama
was sent off for the second time this season for two
bookable offences.
Also, at the Stadium of Light, the game looked to be heading for a draw before the striker found the back of the net twice late on to
seal a much needed win in the Black Cats' fight
against relegation
Jermaine Defoe scored two late goals as Sunderland beat
Aston Villa 2-1 to boost their hopes of beating the drop and
ensure the visitors remain rooted to the bottom of the
Premier League table.
At Vicarage Road, The visitors were forced to come from behind at following Aleksandar Kolarov's own
goal and earned all three points thanks to two
dramatic strikes
Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero both netted late goals as
Manchester City came from behind to beat Watford 2-1 at
Vicarage Road on Saturday.
City, who last won on the road in the league at Crystal
Palace in September, looked set to slip six points behind
leaders Arsenal in a tumultuous title race when Aleksandar
Kolarov headed into his own goal after 55 minutes.
Serbia defender Kolarov atoned for his error, however, by
delivering the corner that Toure met with an emphatic left-
foot volley eight minutes from time.
Aguero, who appeared painfully short of match sharpness
for much of the contest, then rose unchallenged three
minutes later to guide Bacary Sagna's excellent right-wing
cross home.
City remain third in the table, a point shy of second-placed
Leicester, while Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores
will reflect on a desperately unlucky run of one point from
impressive festive displays against Chelsea, Tottenham and
Pellegrini's men.
Mean while, at the Hawthorns, Jonathan Walters had cancelled out Sessegnon's opener, but the former Manchester United man was
on hand to net in the dying seconds and deflate the
10-man visitors
Jonny Evans struck in injury time to earn West Brom and
manager Tony Pulis a 2-1 win over the Welshman's old
team Stoke City in the Premier League on Saturday.
And finally, Jurgen Klopp's men were undone by the physicality
of the two strikers as they began 2016 with a defeat
Michail Antonio and Andy Carroll both scored as Liverpool
were beaten 2-0 by West Ham at Upton Park on Saturday
afternoon.
Antonio's header gave the hosts an early lead at Upton Park
before both sides hit the woodwork in an entertaining first
half.
Carroll put West Ham in control with a typically towering
header 10 minutes into the second period to leave Jurgen
Klopp's side with a mountain to climb against the team who
shocked them with a 3-0 win at Anfield in August.
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